Milking-machine releaser



July 1o, 192s. 1,676,693-y J. HOPKIRK ET AL MILKING MACHINE RELEASERFiled Jan. 5, 1927 Y www has a gravity discharge Vflapy valve, perchamber, known as the receiving cham- Patented July 10, 1928.

ur fr terasse JOSEPH HOPKIRK, oF CAMBRIDGE, Ann GEORGE WILLIAM GANE, orNORMANBY,

NEW ZEALAND. l

Maxine-MACHINE BELEASER. Y

Application led Januaryl 3, 192'?. Y Serial No. 158,699.

This invention relates to a special construction of releaser apparatusforxuse in milking machine installations for the purpose of receiving'the milk ldrawn along the vacuum milk main and for delivering it to openreceiving vessels without interfering with the continuation of themilking opera,- tions.

Y ent levels andthe upper of which chambers communicates -with the lowerchamber through an outwardly opening gravity fiap valve and the lower`vchamber of which also The upber, is in constant connection with themilklng vacuum and has t-he milk main leading into it so that themilking is carried onl through this chamber and the milk is drawn intoit from the main. The lower chamber,

known as the dischargingchamber, is connected to a pulsator apparatus,by the operation of which it is alternately opened to the atmosphere andconnected with' the vacuum sourceof the installation, at regularintervals. f

In the working of such a; releaser therefore, when the discharge chamberis eX- hausted of air, its discharge valve is kept Y closed by theatmospheric pressure upon its outside and the valve communicating withthe receiving chamber is free to open with the weight of milk in suchchamber so that the milk will flow through into the discharge chamber.Then when the discharge chamberhas air admitted to it to break down itsvacuum, the air pressure acts on the communicating valve to close it andkeep it closed, while this chambers own valve ris free toy open by thepressure of, the weight of milk upon Ait with the result that the milkescapes through this valve into the open.

This ltype of machine and its method of working are verywell known inthe artand no further description thereof isneeded` for va properunderstanding of the presentinvention, which consists in specialfeatures of construction and means for operation under which the workingof the releaser .is made more effective'through the more positive ac-The invention relates to that special known Aof the; chamber. Voi." thislit-ting enters through an aperture :has inserted into in orderthus toallow means of a packing ring tion of its valves, andotheradvantagesalso are obtained. y

The inventiontherefore will be fully described 'in relation toV theaccompanying drawings, in whichz- Figure l is a front elevation of thereleaser. assembled `for use butv withone half of the discharge chambercutaway. l'

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the completeyreleaser. l

A is the'receiving chamber which is made with an open top and providedwith a cover A for sealing it. It is also formed with; a flat surface Bon vone side in which surface an outlet opening C is fornied,'wliicho`pening is on the levelof the chamber bottom'so that the chamber maydrain through it. Overthis opening, flat valve D is sus@V pended toallow it to swing in to e-ngage'the surface B and close the opening, orout to uncover the opening, in the well known manner.

The connection of this chamber with the' vacuum is made through a pipe Evleading from the vacuumcreating means and which enters the horizontalbranch of ya lthree branch 'fitting F arranged upon the bottom The uppervertical branch a in the bottom of the chamber, and in turn it the lowerend of a tube G that extends` vertically 'upward in the chamber to neartheupper end thereof. This tube slips into the said yfitting and iscapable of removal or replacement at will,

for the cleansing ot' thev chamber. 'A liquid tight joint is ett'ectedbetween the tube and the aperture a by g so that liquid is preventedfrom being vacuum system. u

drawnkrdown :into the l v.In the lower vertical'branch of thefitting YF, a drain cock H is screwed, such drain cock beingprovided for drainingaway any mois.-`

ture that might. collect in the fitting by leakage or through thecondensationof milk vapours that might pass over into the tube G. f @0rit may' also be used to break the vacuum in the chamber A shouldoccasion arise when such is needed.

The milk main K enters through the side of the chamber at a suitableheight therein; y I

Provision may bemade for a connection eX- tending into either or bothsides of the chamber. 1 Y

M is the discharging chamber, which is made of the shape shown, havingan open inner end foimed with a flange' M that is adapted to lit ilatagainst lthe surface 'B of the chamber A and to make airtightconfynectionftherewith in an approved manner. Such chamber is then lastened"tosu'ch sur'- face so that its open endsurrounds the valve i opening@,by meansbf'tliethiiinb'nuts N d |This ,valve acts also with adischarge opening or other approved fastening means. l

The outer end of the chamber M is liliade Y, O therein and upon theontsi'de ofthis end, a flap 1valve P is pivot'ally hung so that it'mayswing out touncover the opening, or inward to seal it. Y in the wellknown inan nei', but its opening action is made more positive thecombination therewith of mechanical means combining ywithfthe tpulof itsyclosing by the reve VUl) ` lever, a cord S or otherwise.

slatoi` used for pulsatingthefsaid Achamber in the niannerfpreviiislydescribed.VV I.

The said, pul'sator' is shown at VR in Figure Vl and is of the type inwhich a slide valve B is "operated reciproc'ally bya 'rodgrto ,eil'ectzvthe alternate connection ofthechaihb'er'M with air and with the vacuumsource.

These movements-ofthe rod .fr are employed to open the valiv'eI P andtofree it to "permit l y the lair pressure from without, and forthisfpurpose `.al'ever 4arin -S is fixed/to the valve and carriedvertically up- ,ward for a distance. To the top of the is fastened and'such' cord |is carried inward 'and through a lloop S2 secured ltotheVchamber A and then out again and is fastened to the yrod i. Thus when"this rodmoves inthe direction Ato lconnect theeiiember M with en, itpeiie en Ythe eejri land the cordpulls on thetop of` the lever larm S toswing the valve out, and lthen on A l 'ree mevemeni @feathered 'a the.Gra is. slackened 'so that the valve. may close.

Thus'any tendencyof the v'alveto stick-and preventthemilk dischargeovercome.V

; The l usual pulsation connection foflthe chamber M is eii'ectedthroughya passage 'b bored Ihoriz'o'iitally through the' l'atportion ofthe4wallof chamber Av and opens out through such portion above the valveVopening C'm'ade therein.

Each of the valves D and "approved manner but preferahly of a Ysolidblock of rubber of Vthe required size and Share to @over the @peeing byover- .lapping its edges.

y This bloclris then pivotally ysuspended over its opening liv/castingfl'tting'into it wire loops 'eZ-'fp that hangover pins ZL-p"projectingfrom the surface on which the valve is suspended.

Ne claim :\-v Y p y l. In a milking machine.releaserythe combination"with a `receiving "chamber connected .having vu'i'per anl lower 'closeto said cover, 4and. a vacuum ithe bjottmv wail dischargin@ chamber lfitted in'g chamber made in' the latter in tin'iedVV r with asource ofVvacuumand with the milk ipe and having a discharge opening controlledby a gravity flap valve, of a disy .charging chamber fitted upon suchreceiving ing thereof vand itself having a discharge opening andagravity iia'p hinged bn `the Aoutside of such opening, a pulsator appahratus connected to such arm fixed to the Hap valve of the dischargingchainberjanda'flexible cord attached to the Venclvof suchlever arm andto the said reciprocating rod and so arranged as to, open the yvalvewhen ythe rod inoves in 'che direction and to allow it to close when therod nieves inthe otherdirection., 2.V y In' a ymilking machinereleaser,the corn-A biiiatio'n: lwitha receivingch'amber having en opening in itsbottoiinef embalar fitting disposed n beneath; the l `chamber bottom andand intermediate lateral branch, the jup',-

chamber and over the discharge openl I discharging chamber*ahdop'erate'd by a reciprocating rod, a lever f sel ' vertical hranchesper veriieaib-ariehbeiiig fitted rito the` said ripe @Xterwory thereof:and lt'erinin'ating C:

nal vto Ythe,chahaber4 opening laterally Y linto said tubeat 'a pointbelow saidchamber.

4. lA inil'liing"machine release'r, v'coihprisfing.

a receiving :cli'an'iber having a 'removable cover, a milk mainopening"throughjthe side "wall of saidchamber, a vertical tube "leadingupwardly I into the chamber through thereof vand "terminating n close'tosaidcovenfavacuum pipe external to the chamber and"pehing laterallyilito said'tiib'e ata point "below'vsaid chamberxa uponv` the Yreceivand 'cnininunicating with `the same, `a valve to ccntrollsuchcommunication,

said' discharging opening and a controlfvalve thereforfand l i f apulsator connection Vcommunicating with the discharging chamber andoperativelY associated with its outlet valve' to actuate 'elati'oii vtothe action of the pulsatlor.

' 5. A milking i achine releasen'cihprislng milk receiving |`and'discharging I chambers iiiber an outlet connected directly togetheran'dfhaving an 'I opening from one to the other-and valve controllingsuch opening,

.the discharging chamber having an outlet opening and a control valvetherefor, a milk main leading into the receiving chamber, a vacuum'connection leading into said receiving chamber, a pulsator apparatus,piping leading there- `from to said discharging chamber to connect anddisconnect the latter with and from suction in alternation, and apositive operating connection between the pulsator` apparatus and theoutlet valve of the discharging chamber for openin and closing thatvalve inversely to the action of the pulsator.

In testimony whereof, We aHX our signatures.

JOSEPH -HOPKIRK- Y l GEORGE WILLIAM GANE.

